The History of U.S. Bottlers Machinery Co.

U.S. Bottlers Machinery Company began as the Risser Engineering Company in 1906 when Arthur Ivan Risser started his small machinery company in Chicago. Over time, he worked on repairing small machines for the packaging industry and developing unique designs.

Always the inventor, he created over three dozen critical patents and worked closely with the Owens Glass Company of Illinois in producing machinery for their glass bottles. In 1912, he incorporated with two other colleagues to create U.S. Bottlers Machinery Company.

During World War II, U.S. Bottlers Machinery was asked by the government to assist in war production. During that time, the company added machining capabilities, that after the war proved instrumental in propelling the company forward in productivity. Ivan Risser (second generation), joined the company during this period and eventually led the company into a more focused marketing strategy.

By placing an emphasis on specialized equipment, such as the air cleaner and the vacuum filler, the company was able to produce a standard line of equipment at a more cost-effective pace. This helped establish the company as a premier domestic supplier of quality equipment with an emphasis on engineering and packaging expertise. In this era, U.S. Bottlers became the standard for air cleaners throughout the United States.

Today the company is back in the hands of a single family member. We strive to maintain the passion, creativity, and ethical support for our customers that have kept us not only alive, but innovative throughout our 100 years of existence. I am so very proud of our heritage and of our current team members. We have a legacy to maintain and a responsibility to produce the best quality in everything we design and fabricate. Our business model is based upon being a U.S. innovator and manufacturer of custom packaging equipment to fill the demands of our customer base in terms of service, support, fabrication, technology and quality. We welcome the challenge of remaining a valued total service oriented American manufacturing company in this worldwide modern market. Come visit our facility in Charlotte, NC and discover for yourself our proud heritage and continued leadership within the packaging industry.

Click on the links below to read about notable events and milestones that have shaped the company into what it is today, progressing through four generations of family ownership: